Bed.



No. 760,152. PATENTEDMAY 17, 1904.

W. E. ROBERTS.

BED.

APPLIOATION PI-LED MAY 24, 1900.

no MODEL.

uonms mum! on mate-Limo, wxsnmsron. 0. c.

UNITED STATES Patented May 1'7, 1904.

PATENT Orricn.

WILLIAM E. ROBERTS, OF ROCHESTER, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CAROLINE A. ROBERTS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 760,152, dated May 1'7, 1904.

Application filed May 24, 1900.

'To all whom it-may concern:

' hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, 'and exact description of the same, reference belng had to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provideadevice adapted to be applied to beds, and particularly those of invalids, whereby the occupant may be raised from a prone position to a sitting posture and supported in such a position without physical exertion upon his part; and it has for a further object to provide a support which may be adjusted to any desired elevation whereby the greatest ease and comfort may be afforded to the patient.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bed, showing the application and operation of a device constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 a side view of the operating-handle, showing it detached.

Similar reference-numerals indicate similar parts.

In illustrating my device I have shown it applied to a bedstead of the ordinary form,

such as are commonly used in hospitals and similar institutions, embodying the head portion having the legs 1 and the side rails 2, preferably constructed of iron. The wovenwire springs 3 are mounted on the usual frame, consisting of side bars 4 and the cross pieces 5, extending between them, to which the ends of the springs are secured.

Mounted upon the side rails 2 are plates 6, secured by screws or bolts 7 and supporting elevating-arms 8, pivoted at 9.

These arms Serial No. 17,855. (No model.)

are arranged upon opposite sides of the bed and are formed, preferably, of light angleiron, as shown, being connected above the springs 3 by rods 10 and having their lower ends 11 bent downward and projecting below the side rails, as shown in Fig. 1. Attached to the arms are chains 12, the other ends of beneath the bed and supported in bearings 14, arranged in rear of the pivots 9 and secured to the side rails 2 by bolts 15. The shaft 13 is preferably constructed of tubing, and upon. its ends I form slight projections extending beyond the side of the bearings 14, upon which is secured a ratchet-wheel 16, having collars or flanges 17, through which project pins 18. The pin extends from side to side of the collar and across the center of the tube, forming a simple and convenient means for attaching the operating crank-arm 20, the engaging end of which is provided with a circular head 21, adapted to enter the end of the tube and having a slot 22, in which the pin 18 engages. The outer end of the arm is provided with a convenient operating-handle 23. It will be understood, however, that but one ratchet device is required, although in my present arrangement I find it desirable to provide two in order that the bed may be conveniently operated from either side.

Formed upon one side of the bearing is an arm or extension 24, upon which is pivoted at a pawl 26, the weighted outer end 27 causing its normal engagement with the ratchetwheel, and the face of the pawl is provided with leather or other fibrous packing 28, adapted to deaden the noise as the parts are operated.

29 indicates a spring-finger attached to the arm 24, having a small projection 30, adapted to cooperate with the depression 31 to hold the pawl out of engagement with the ratchetwheel, when desired.

The mattress 35 is laid upon the springs in the normal position, the upper end resting upon the rods 10, and while an ordinary mattress will bend sufiiciently to allow the end to be moved into a vertical position I prefer to employ two separate mattresses or one having which are connected to a shaft 13, extending the upper and lower parts hinged together, as at 36, at a point slightly in advance of the pivots 9, as I find that such an arrangement greatly facilitates the operation of the device and at the same time provides a more comfortable bed.

The operation will now be readily understood. The crank-arm 20 is applied to the tubular shaft 13 with its .bifurcated end engaging the pin 18, when the shaft may be revolved, winding the chains 12 thereon and elevating the arms 8, carrying the end of the mattress upward on the rods 10, extending between them, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. By this means an invalid or patient can be easily raised into asitting posture and supported in this position, or the device may be adjusted to any intermediate angle desired to afford the most restful or comfortable position to the occupant. WVhen it is desired to return the bed to its normal horizontal nosition, the outer end 27 of the pawl 26 is raised, disengaging the latter from the ratchet-wheel l6 and permitting the projection 30 on the springfinger 29 to engage the depression 31, holding theparts separated until released by a downward pressure on the end 27. The ratchet being thus released, the parts will return to their normal position either by their own weight or they may be lowered carefully by the handle 20.

Elevating devices such as I have described are simple and easily constructed and may be equally well applied to any bed. If for any reason it should be impracticable to employ a mattress, it will be understood that springs or any other suitable platform might be arranged between the arms 8 to operate with the same results, or one end of the springs 3 might be attached directly to the elevating-frame.

I claim as my invention 1. In an elevating device, the combination with a bed-frame, having the bed-support, the arms at the side of the latter pivoted to the frame, and the connections between the arms extending above the bed-support, of the bearings on the frame, the shaft supported therein and the flexible connections between the latter and the arms, the ratchet-wheel mounted on the shaft, the pin extending through the wheel and across the recess in the shaft and a removable handle having a bifurcated engaging end entering the recess in the shaft and engaging the pin, and the pawl engaging the ratchet.

2. The combination with a bed-frame having a bed-support, arms pivoted to the frame and connected above the support, and bearingbrackets attached to the frame, of an operating-shaft journaled in the brackets and having ratchet-wheels thereon adjacent the brackets, pawls pivoted on the brackets, a removable operating-handle attachable to either end of the shaft, and spring-fingers adapted to engage the pawls to hold them out of operative position whereby the pawl at the end of the shaft opposite that to which the handle is applied may be held in the inoperative position.

WILLIAM E. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, G. A. R01. 

